Friday, December 30, 2011

As
we head into 2012, many of us will be resolving to lose those few extra
pounds, save more money, or spend a few more hours with our families
and friends. But there are also some resolutions we can make to make our
lives a little greener. Each of us, especially in the United States,
can make a commitment to reducing our environmental impacts.

The
United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of
Sustainable Energy for All. Broadening access to sustainable energy is
essential to solving many of the world’s challenges, including food
production, security, and poverty.

Hunger, poverty, and climate change are issues that we can all help address. Here are 12 simple steps to go green in 2012:

(1) Recycle
Recycling
programs exist in cities and towns across the United States, helping to
save energy and protect the environment. In 2009, San Francisco became
the first U.S. city to require all homes and businesses to use recycling
and composting collection programs. As a result, more than 75 percent
of all material collected is being recycled, diverting 1.6 million tons
from the landfills annually—double the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for each pound
of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources necessary to
generate roughly 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity—enough to power a
city the size of Pittsburgh for six years!What you can do:

Put a separate container next to your trash can or printer, making it easier to recycle your bottles, cans, and paper.

(2) Turn off the lights
On
the last Saturday in March—March 31 in 2012—hundreds of people,
businesses, and governments around the world turn off their lights for
an hour as part of Earth Hour, a movement to address climate change.What you can do:

Earth
Hour happens only once a year, but you can make an impact every day by
turning off lights during bright daylight, or whenever you will be away
for an extended period of time.

(3) Make the switch
In
2007, Australia became the first country to “ban the bulb,” drastically
reducing domestic usage of incandescent light bulbs. By late 2010,
incandescent bulbs had been totally phased out, and, according to the
country’s environment minister, this simple move has made a big
difference, cutting an estimated 4 million tons of greenhouse gas
emissions by 2012. China also recently pledged to replace the 1 billion
incandescent bulbs used in its government offices with more energy
efficient models within five years.What you can do:

A
bill in Congress to eliminate incandescent in the United States failed
in 2011, but you can still make the switch at home. Compact fluorescent
lamps (CFLs) use only 20–30 percent of the energy required by
incandescents to create the same amount of light, and LEDs use only 10
percent, helping reduce both electric bills and carbon emissions.

(4) Turn on the tap
The
bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010,
generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles
create huge environmental problems. The energy required to produce and
transport these bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a
year, yet approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not
recycled—they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute
waterways and oceans. And while public tap water is subject to strict
safety regulations, the bottled water industry is not required to report
testing results for its products. According to a study, 10 of the most
popular brands of bottled water contain a wide range of pollutants,
including pharmaceuticals, fertilizer residue, and arsenic.What you can do:

Fill
up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink.
The United States has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by
eliminating bottled water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of
bottles out of the landfill, as well as save money on water costs.

(5) Turn down the heat
The
U.S. Department of Energy estimates that consumers can save up to 15
percent on heating and cooling bills just by adjusting their
thermostats. Turning down the heat by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit for
eight hours can result in savings of 5–15 percent on your home heating
bill.What you can do:

Turn down your thermostat when you leave for work, or use a programmable thermostat to control your heating settings.

(6) Support food recovery programs
Each
year, roughly a third of all food produced for human
consumption—approximately 1.3 billion tons—gets lost or wasted,
including 34 million tons in the United States, according to the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Grocery stores,
bakeries, and other food providers throw away tons of food daily that is
perfectly edible but is cosmetically imperfect or has passed its
expiration date. In response, food recovery programs run by homeless
shelters or food banks collect this food and use it to provide meals for
the hungry, helping to divert food away from landfills and into the
bellies of people who need it most.What you can do:

Encourage
your local restaurants and grocery stores to partner with food rescue
organizations, like City Harvest in New York City or Second Harvest
Heartland in Minnesota.

Go through your cabinets and shelves and
donate any non-perishable canned and dried foods that you won’t be
using to your nearest food bank or shelter.

(7) Buy local
“Small
Business Saturday,” falling between “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,”
was established in 2010 as a way to support small businesses during the
busiest shopping time of the year. Author and consumer advocate Michael
Shuman argues that local small businesses are more sustainable because
they are often more accountable for their actions, have smaller
environmental footprints, and innovate to meet local
conditions—providing models for others to learn from.What you can do:

Instead
of relying exclusively on large supermarkets, consider farmers markets
and local farms for your produce, eggs, dairy, and meat. Food from these
sources is usually fresher and more flavorful, and your money will be
going directly to these food producers.

(8) Get out and ride
We
all know that carpooling and using public transportation helps cut down
on greenhouse gas emissions, as well as our gas bills. Now, cities
across the country are investing in new mobility options that provide
exercise and offer an alternative to being cramped in subways or buses.
Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. have major bike
sharing programs that allow people to rent bikes for short-term use.
Similar programs exist in other cities, and more are planned for places
from Miami, Florida, to Madison, Wisconsin.What you can do:

If
available, use your city’s bike share program to run short errands or
commute to work. Memberships are generally inexpensive (only $75 for the
year in Washington, D.C.), and by eliminating transportation costs, as
well as a gym membership, you can save quite a bit of money!

Even
if without bike share programs, many cities and towns are incorporating
bike lanes and trails, making it easier and safer to use your bike for
transportation and recreation.

(9) Share a car
Car
sharing programs spread from Europe to the United States nearly 13
years ago and are increasingly popular, with U.S. membership jumping 117
percent between 2007 and 2009. According to the University of
California Transportation Center, each shared car replaces 15 personally
owned vehicles, and roughly 80 percent of more than 6,000 car-sharing
households surveyed across North America got rid of their cars after
joining a sharing service. In 2009, car-sharing was credited with
reducing U.S. carbon emissions by more than 482,000 tons. Innovative
programs such as Chicago’s I-GO are even introducing solar-powered cars
to their fleets, making the impact of these programs even more
eco-friendly.What you can do:

Join a car
share program! As of July 2011, there were 26 such programs in the U.S.,
with more than 560,000 people sharing over 10,000 vehicles. Even if you
don’t want to get rid of your own car, using a shared car when
traveling in a city can greatly reduce the challenges of finding parking
(car share programs have their own designated spots), as well as your
environmental impact as you run errands or commute to work.

(10) Plant a garden
Whether
you live in a studio loft or a suburban McMansion, growing your own
vegetables is a simple way to bring fresh and nutritious food literally
to your doorstep. Researchers at the FAO and the United Nations
Development Programme estimate that 200 million city dwellers around the
world are already growing and selling their own food, feeding some 800
million of their neighbors. Growing a garden doesn’t have to take up a
lot of space, and in light of high food prices and recent food safety
scares, even a small plot can make a big impact on your diet and wallet.What you can do:

Plant
some lettuce in a window box. Lettuce seeds are cheap and easy to find,
and when planted in full sun, one window box can provide enough to make
several salads worth throughout a season.

(11) Compost
And
what better way to fertilize your garden than using your own composted
organic waste. You will not only reduce costs by buying less fertilizer,
but you will also help to cut down on food and other organic waste.What you can do:

If
you are unsure about the right ways to compost, websites such as
HowToCompost.org and organizations such as the U.S. Composting Council,
provide easy steps to reuse your organic waste.

(12) Reduce your meat consumption
Livestock
production accounts for about 18 percent of all human-caused greenhouse
gas emissions and accounts for about 23 percent of all global water
used in agriculture. Yet global meat production has experienced a 20
percent growth rate since 2000 to meet the per capita increase of meat
consumption of about 42 kilograms.What you can do:

You
don’t have to become a vegetarian or vegan, but by simply cutting down
on the amount of meat you consume can go a long way. Consider
substituting one meal day with a vegetarian option. And if you are
unable to think of how to substitute your meat-heavy diet, websites such
as Meatless Monday and Eating Well offer numerous vegetarian recipes
that are healthy for you and the environment.

The most
successful and lasting New Year’s resolutions are those that are
practiced regularly and have an important goal. Watching the ball drop
in Times Square happens only once a year, but for more and more people
across the world, the impacts of hunger, poverty, and climate change are
felt every day. Thankfully, simple practices, such as recycling or
riding a bike, can have great impact. As we prepare to ring in the new
year, let’s all resolve to make 2012 a healthier, happier, and greener
year for all.

Friday, December 23, 2011

In its purest form, a gift economy is about the collective, allocation
based on need, and abundance. Behind gifting is human relationship,
generation of goodwill, and attention to the nurturance of the whole
society and not just one’s immediate self and family. Maintaining
economic and social relations outside of the market keeps cooperation
and ethics thriving.

The Value of the Gift

A gift is never just a material object or service. One of its
purposes is to maintain social connections. Be it a bracelet for the arm
or a bed for the night, gifts are strings which create and strengthen
friendships, family, regional community, religious grouping, and other
social networks. dama reflects a worldview that society, indeed
the world, is a web of relationships—not just between individuals, but
between an inseparable whole. Gifting is not an economic activity so
much as a spinning of that web, continually reinforcing
interconnectedness and the collective. IEP educator and cultural worker
Coumba Toure says, “Who we are is very much defined by how much we give
to others. The objects are just the symbol. The highest gift is
recognizing people and accepting to be connected to them.”

A second purpose of dama is to sustain and celebrate the values of sharing and humanity—what is known as maaya or ‘being human.’ “Maaya, the link we have between ourselves, is why dama
works,” says Djingarey Maïga, president of the organization Women and
Human Rights. “It’s the link with your neighbors, your parents, your
relatives. If you can’t keep that link, you are not a human being.” She
illustrates with the case of her children who, if they are at a
neighbor’s house at mealtime, will be fed. If it is bath time, the
neighbors will bathe her children as well. A common Malian expression
explains maaya: “Life is a cord. We make the cord between ourselves, and you have to hold on to it. One should not drop the cord.”

Thirdly, dama is an essential strategy for keeping the
community well. Malians’ understanding of community is that it is only
as strong as its parts. Only by all providing for each other will all
survive and thrive.

Wherever your gift ends up will be an important
contribution toward everyone’s welfare. For example, one afternoon I
pass a small cash gift on to my friend Madou. Yaye, a bystander looking
on, immediately thanks me. “What you give Madou you also give me,
because I will also benefit from his well-being.”

Coumba says, “If you ask any number of people how they live, what
they eat, where they get what they wear, you would quickly notice that
most of it has been given by someone.” dama is a time-honored,
well-honed means of keeping away hunger, prolonged illness, and early
death. It provides the social safety net which the state—egged on by the
World Bank and IMF—has neglected: a working health system, social
security for the elders, education, and child care.

In addition to trying to prevent anyone from being too poor, yet another purpose of dama
is to prevent most everyone from becoming too rich. While in the U.S.
there often exists social reinforcement to accumulate as much as
possible, with wealth and the wealthy frequently being revered, in Mali
the cultural norm is to give away as much of your accumulation as
possible, with generosity and the generous being most respected. The
social pressure to give acts as a disincentive to hoard, or what we call
save. Coumba offers, “Being rich here means that the person has
abandoned his or her values, that he or she is not giving enough to the
needs around. People really start worrying about what has happened to
that person.”

Passing it On

In
one study in Bamako, each person gave an average of 1.5 gifts per day.
Another study found that gifts account for 18% of total expenditures
among Malian villagers, comprising the largest single category. Presents
are passed along everywhere: a small household decoration, change to
buy a school notebook. When a family’s harvest of millet or peanuts is
ready, they pass on a portion to the homes around them. If a household
is hosting guests, neighbors will typically send over food.

Services are rendered, too, mainly by girls and women: sweeping or
washing dishes, running to the corner to buy sugar, tending a market
stall, lending a chair or a pot, braiding hair. Women often care for the
children of a neighbor who has to leave home to work.

During the rainy season, when the heavens open with a stupendous
force, standard practice is that the closest household offers
hospitality to an immediately drenched passer-by, inviting the friend or
stranger in to dry off with a towel, share a cup of hot tea, and wait
out the torrent. Community organizations regularly give small
contributions of money or the loan of a conference room to another
group. Town residents give lodging to those from their original village
until the new migrants can get on their feet. The examples are endless.

Malian homes themselves are testaments to dama. One study
found that households consist of an average of 11.5 individuals. They
may include orphans, refugees of abuse, or those whose first
(biological) family is too poor to feed them or too far from a school to
educate them.

Gifts encircle each life cycle. When a woman gives birth, neighbors
care for all her material needs for the first forty days, organizing
themselves to share in providing meals, milk, and the like. At a baptism
and wedding, guests show up with soap, a length of cloth, some palm
wine, or a dish of food. On the seventh day after the death of a wealthy
person, his or her family distributes food to the children of the area.

Signs of dama abound throughout religious practice, too.
Every Friday, Muslim communities distribute milk and bread to village
children. Catholic women organize themselves to feed the village priest
throughout the year, each one signing up for two weeks at a time. The
Rastafari Movement of Mali gives half of the produce of its community
gardens to street children.

Lines of giving are complex and often circuitous. “You never know how
it will come back. But you have to give because you can’t let the cord
break with you,” explains IEP backbone Maria Diarra. She tells of
helping a man in the community some years back. Now the man’s sister
brings Maria’s family gifts of charcoal and food, gives them rides, and
visits whenever she comes to Kati.

“Maybe the link gets broken in a larger community," says Coumba. "But
when you are in a community where everyone believes that, it really
does work.”

And in the World's Richest Nation...

Western academics are often tempted, as one of them noted, to
delineate “a radical break between premodern and modern cultures, with
the gift reserved for the premodern, while we must deal through the
market and the state.” We are to believe that, as capitalism developed
and exchange systems spread, markets supplanted morals and gifting was
destroyed.

Certainly the messages many of us got from childhood to accumulate
riches and spend them on ourselves, strive to make that theory real. And
yet, in the most consumptive nation on earth, gifts are given
frequently, spontaneously, and without thought of reciprocity. One gift
advocate offers this analysis: “We just don’t have the right glasses on
to see the gifting happening all around us. We see it as exchange manqué
or only a defensive position of those who aren’t capable of exchange.”

In fact, people in the U.S. give infinite forms of services and goods
to family and friends, neighbors, and strangers without calculation of
return. We give where there is no emotional tie, no reciprocity, and
often (in the case of a donation to a community organization, for
example) not even a thanks from the ultimate recipient. We give
anonymously; think of those multi-million dollar donations from unnamed
individuals reported from time to time in the newspaper. We push
strangers’ cars, give their batteries a jump in a parking lot, shovel
snow from elderly neighbors’ walks, leave tips for waitresses we’ll
never see again. We even donate organs. In 2005, people in the U.S. gave
$260.28 billion to non-profits and charities, and 61.2 million
volunteered, with each person giving a median of 52 hours per year.

Escaping the Crocodile's Lake

dama is under threat by the neoliberal marketplace that is
converting much of the gifting sphere to exchange relationships,
monetizing the economy, and placing a dollar value on many forms of
worth. West Africans’ challenge today is to keep dama thriving despite the expansion of markets, advertising, and cash transactions. A canary in the proverbial coal mine, dama is an indicator of how well cultural traditions can hold up under conditions of globalization.

What is certain is that dama will survive in at least a
subterranean way, as do other gifting and solidarity economies
throughout the world. Also certain is that dama and other non-market economies will remain strong and viable only if organized movements vigorously defend them.

Kadidiatou Baby, director of the Malian Association for the Support
of Schooling of Girls, suggests that, “We can’t go fully back to the
traditional economy. But we can organize people so they can better
support each other in a parallel economy that nurtures society. You can
exploit individuals easily, but it’s harder before a well-organized
system.”

As free-market capitalism is being globalized, so are economies that
function on a different logic, that of solidarity. Grassroots movements
have organized community kitchens in Latin America, fair trade
production in South Asia, clothing and book exchanges in North America,
and open source software networks in Europe—to name only a few of the
spiraling examples. They emphasize women's initiatives, ecological
agriculture, ethical financing, and appropriate technology. The World
Social Forum hosts a permanent solidarity economy network, and the U.S.
Solidarity Economic Network held its first meeting in March, 2009.
Brazil even has a secretary of state for solidarity economy.

“You know that difficulty usually gives way to creativity,”
Kadidiatou says. “Sometimes people come out of the crocodiles’ lake
alive. Go figure how they got out, but they do. Even if they leave with
one less limb, they do. When you believe in the survival of humanity,
you invent the response.”Beverly Bell is Associate Fellow at the Institute
for Policy Studies and the coordinator of Other Worlds, which
collaborates with grassroots movements in documenting and publicizing
large-scale economic alternatives, and generates support for them.
Special thanks go to the research and analysis of Maria Diarra, Coumba
Toure, Debbie Fredo, Anne Mayher, Genevieve Vaughan, and Moira Birss.
For more information on dama, including a short video, check Other Worlds’ web site: www.otherworldsarepossible.org. For more on gift economies, see www.gift-economy.com.

Cooking Up Karma: A Taste of the Gift Economy

Video: At a restaurant in Berkeley, there's no bill at the
end of the meal—just a request to pay it forward for those who come
after you.

What if your meal was paid for by the people who dined before you? At
Karma Kitchen, an event that occurs every Sunday at Taste of Himalayas
in Berkeley, Calif., that is exactly what happens. Volunteers serve food
to hungry patrons who in turn pay forward what they value their
experience at. There are no prices on the menu and the bill reads $0.00.

With busy locations now in D.C. and Chicago, Karma Kitchen is a
success in attracting enthusiasm for a gift economy where what you give
benefits those who come after you—and you benefit from everyone who came
before. Pay it forward for future diners and rack up the karma points!

37 Ways to Join the Gift Economy

You don't have to participate in a local currency or service
exchange to be part of the cooperative gift economy. Any time you do a
favor for a family member, neighbor, colleague, or stranger you're part
of it. Here are some ways you can spend time in the gift economy, where
you'll find fun, freedom, and connection.

Organize
a "non-consumption booth" at a farmers' market or street fair. At the
Charlottetown Farmers' Market, the Environmental Chat Corner hosts
discussions of environmental issues, sustainable building and
landscaping, ecotourism, and community development.

Buy food or supplies in bulk and share with friends.

Form a home-repair team to fix your own place and others'.

Request help of someone usually regarded as needy.

Create
your own rainy-day fund with your friends. One group pooled $1,000
each, which they lent to any in the group who needed it. The fund helped
members survive a lost job, a stolen bicycle, and a broken arm.

Make space available to other people to grow food on your land.

Borrow garden space from someone who has extra land; give them,or a food bank, some of the produce.

Give co-workers neck and shoulder massages.

Offer to mentor a young person.

Ask a 12-year-old to show you how to get onto the Worldwide Web.

Throw a block party.

Show up at a soup kitchen and ask to volunteer help.

Rent
out extra space to people needing a place to sleep, work, or just to
get away, or exchange the space for yard work or baby-sitting.

Convert a duplex, apartment building, old nursing home, or seminary into a cohousing community.

Convert a barn or warehouse into a space for artists and start-up businesses.

Create a space for neighbors to keep and share infrequently used tools and extra garden supplies.

Start a baby-sitting or child care co-op.

Hold a monthly clean-up of a beach, park, roadway, river bank; get coffee houses to donate goodies.

Plant trees. Get the city to select and donate them.

Find a person on each block who will help neighbors get assistance when needed - from other neighbors when possible.

Share a car.

Or start a car co-op with various vehicles for different uses. Share expenses based on mileage.

Paint donated bicycles and place them in downtown areas with signs indicating they're for anyone to use.

Become a foster parent, a 'big brother' or 'big sister.' Notice the ways everyone benefits!

Exchange lessons, for example, cooking for carpentry.

Teach a skill, like carpentry, and ask your students to donate time to others.

Adopt a stream or a highway to restore, maintain, and beautify.

Work with your neighbors to develop a vision for your neighborhood's future.

Presentations

Reports on each of the World Summit sessions are
provided below by clicking on the session title below. Where we have
been provided with a copy of a speaker’s presentation, this is linked to
the speakers name in the programme below and is also linked to the
speakers profiles on the speakers page. Please note that the presentations are large files and may take some time to download.

TUESDAY 4 OctoberPLACEA sense of country
and connection to the land is central to Indigenous peoples. As the
landscape, environment and societies evolve, the broader community is
also increasingly aware of the inextricable link between culture and
place.KEYNOTE SESSIONModerated by Robyn Archer AOJacques Martial
talked about the links between culture and place. He is President of
the Parc de la Villette in Paris, one of the best funded cultural
institutions in France. While in the past local residents, many of whom
are from North Africa, used the park for family leisure and play, very
few entered the major cultural facilities which are integral to the
park. Jacques Martial came into the Parc with an express policy for
inclusion, both for those local residents and the arts and artists from
France d’Outres-Mers: he will tell us how this is playing out and about
his plans for the next five years. He has also been actively engaged in
the region which includes Guadeloupe and Martinique and can offer a
perspective on the arts there.Eduard Miralles
responded from a crucial point of intersection. How can local
governments ensure that their cultural policies allow for the kind of
radical cultural inclusion of long-resident minorities and recent
arrivals as described by Jacques Martial? How can policy balance the
sometimes conflicting emotions of artists and residents in the
increasingly diverse mix of populations in our big cities and
neighbourhoods? And what are the other cultural priorities for local
government in the twenty-first century?PANEL SESSION - My PlaceRocco Landesman, Pooja Sood and Lachlan McDonald
talked about the creative intersections in three very different places
in the world, and how the creative projects they are involved in are
very much determined by the particular nature of their place. The
economic revival of struggling American towns, an urban village in New
Delhi, and small communities in the vast spaces of remote Western
Australia all point to the specifics of ‘place’ and their intersection
with the arts. The session was moderated by Professor Paul James.ROUNDTABLES1: Indigenous wisdom of place (Supported by Creative New Zealand)Dr Treahna Hamm (artist, Australia, of Yorta Yorta and Wadi Wadi peoples), Vernon Ah Kee (artist, Australia, born in North Queensland of the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidindji and Gugu Yimithirr peoples) Tainui Stephens (independent film and television producer, New Zealand, Te Rarawa). Moderator: Louise Profeit-Leblanc (Aboriginal Arts Coordinator, Canada Council, from the Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation of the Yukon Territory in Northern Canada).
The Earth’s Indigenous peoples have a richly layered connection to
‘country’. This intimate knowledge can inform 21st century environmental
behaviour, especially through the arts, but also has the ability to
influence multiple perspectives on contemporary art and life. The
particular relationship of Indigenous artists to their sense of place is
not only important for their own art, but offers vital pathways for all
the arts. There is much to learn, and this is the table for fashioning a
policy initiative which would enable that knowledge and art to be
better understood and more widely disseminated.2: A climate for change (Supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation as part of its Connect2Culture programme)Vincensius ‘venzha’ Christianwan (Artist, House of Natural Fiber, Indonesia), Theo Anagnostopoulos (Founder, SciCo, Greece), Alison Tickell (Director, Julie’s Bicycle, England), Pooja Sood (Director, KHOJ International Artists’ Association, India). Moderator: Angharad Wynne-Jones (Producer, Tipping Point Australia).
There are multiple initiatives throughout the world for addressing
the effects of climate change. Many artists, especially in the visual
arts media, have addressed the issues through their work, but how can
policy ensure best practice? There are excellent individual examples
such as Julie’s Bicycle in London, the Sydney Theatre Company’s
award-winning Greening the Wharf, and numerous individual festivals
insisting on recycling and carbon offsets. Can policy pick up on these
individual initiatives and ensure more widespread adoption of
environmentally sustainable practices in the arts?3: Rebuilding communitiesMaría Victoria Alcaraz (Director General, San Martín Cultural Centre, Argentina),Komi M’Kegbe Foga Tublu (Manager Cultural Heritage, Ecole du patrimoine africain, Benin), Pilar Kasat (Managing Director, Community Arts Network, Western Australia). Moderator: Elise Huffer (Culture Adviser, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Fiji).
When remote areas or fragile systems are hit by unexpected
disturbances such as drought, flood, earthquakes, fire, but also
shifting economies, job-loss, diminishing population and resources, how
can the arts help rehabilitate such communities? Many artists, both
local and visiting, want to work with affected communities and the
communities are often keen to welcome artists into their midst. What are
the policies that can facilitate such collaborations? In this session,
our starting point examples are a ‘cultural first aid kit’ developed in
response to the Chilean earthquake, the place of culinary art specific
to the Batammariba people in building cultural tourism for Togo and
Benin, and the inspirational story of resilience and hope in Narrogin, a
wheatbelt town in Western Australia.4: Invigorating citiesMoira Sinclair (Executive Director, Arts Council England, London), Say Kosal (President, National League of Communes/Sangkats, Cambodia), Marcus Westbury (Founder, Renew Newcastle and Renew Australia), Eduard Miralles (Cultural Relations Advisor, Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain). Moderator: Sue Beal (Chair, Cultural Development Network, Australia).
Cities have become a hot topic. Recently the global balance gently
tipped to a place where, for the first time in its recorded history,
there were more people living in cities than not. And cities are
growing. There are infinite ways in which the arts play a role in these
places where rich and poor increasingly live side by side, and diverse
cultures of age and race jostle. Are arts policies responding to these
realities or are new frameworks required?5: Changing places - evolving cultural policies in Asia (Supported by ASEF/culture360.org, an online portal of the Asia-Europe Foundation)Dr Chaitanya Sambrani (Lecturer, art historian and curator, Australian National University School of Art and Social Sciences, Australia), Shen Qilan (Editor, Art World Magazine, China), Dr Kiwon Hong (Assistant professor of cultural policy, Sookmyung Women’s University, Korea), MaLou Jacob (Executive Director, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Philippines). Moderator: Lesley Alway (Arts Director, Asialink, Australia).
This roundtable took as its starting point the intersection of arts
and cultural policies with international relations and more specifically
the context provided by the shifts in geopolitics and world economies
in Asia. It has been acknowledged that we are now living in the ‘Asian
Century’ as the focus of economic development shifts from West to East,
particularly through the emergence of the two new super economies -
China and India.
This transference of economic power and influence has been
accompanied by increasing interest in cultural engagement from within,
without and across Asia. At the government level, this intersection is
often referred to as ‘soft-power’ and whilst it risks collision with
‘nation-state’ marketing, it also provides new avenues for the arts to
develop new bilateral and multilateral platforms for engagement.
Additionally, some of the most stimulating projects have been generated
from non-government and private initiatives.6: Screening the landscapeVilsoni Hereniko (Director, Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture, and Pacific Studies, Fiji), Steven Loft (Trudeau National Visiting Fellow, Ryerson University, Canada). Moderator: John Oster (Chief Executive Officer, Indigenous Art Code, Australia)
With the background of Vilsoni Hereniko’s film The Land has Eyes, and
others such as Warwick Thornton’s uncompromising portrayal of central
Australia, Samson and Delilah, we discuss how screen-based arts paint
powerful pictures of place. Baz Luhrmann’s film Australia was used by
government tourism departments to leverage’ promotion for clear reasons.
Does arts policy abandon screen to commercial forces, and if not, can
it do more? What sparkling new policy initiative would allow screenbased
arts to fulfil their 21st century potential?7: Global connectivityDr Mario Merialdi (World Health Organisation, Switzerland), Jo Dorras (Wan Smolbag, Vanuatu), Katelijn Verstraete (Asia-Europe Foundation, Singapore). Moderator: Rose Hiscock (Executive Director, Arts Development, Australia Council)
The economic responsibility of developed nations towards developing
nations is globally acknowledged, but have we taken the same level of
responsibility in the arts? Artists have taken the lead in global
collaborations of all kinds. Cultural ‘fusion’ is age-old and
continuing, but are we doing the same in policy and arts-support?
At this Summit we had many participants from wealthy countries with
healthy arts budgets and formal frameworks. But we also had participants
from countries which have art and artists, but little or no formal
policy frameworks or support for the arts. What are our responsibilities
and how can we put them into action?8: The outer limitsErica Seccombe (artist, Australia), Professor Tim Senden (Professor, ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Australia), Gavin Artz (CEO, Australian Network for Art and Technology). Moderator: Pia Waugh (IT Policy Advisor to Senator Kate Lundy and Digital Culture Sphere Coordinator, Australia).
Throughout history there have been artists who have leapt to use new
technologies (electric light, recorded sound, photography, film etc). As
advances in science and technology increase exponentially in the 21st
century, artists’ experimentation abounds and in many cases reveals new
potentials to their inventors. How does arts policy enable and support
these collaborations and what would be the one big new policy shift or
idea that would help arts keep in step with science in coming years?9: Moving fast and flexible – the changing landscape of digital technologiesBecky Schutt (Fellow, Judge Business School, Cambridge University, England), Shane Simpson (Special Counsel, Simpsons, Australia), Pius Knüsel (Director, Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council). Moderator: Katherine Watson (Director, European Cultural Foundation, Netherlands).
The digital revolution has the power to strike fear into the hearts
of anyone working in traditional real time/real space artforms. The fear
is that download culture will eat away at traditional arts audiences
and its popularity with digital natives will eventually see arts support
shift to these newer forms of creativity and away from books, theatre,
live music etc. But many see the huge opportunities that digital
technology and communications can bring to artists and artforms, if they
can open up and embrace them.

WEDNESDAY 5 October 2011PEOPLEThe
impact of the arts on the human landscape and how artists engage with
community concerns such as crime prevention, poverty reduction, social
cohesion, health and education will underscore the day’s discussions.KEYNOTE SESSIONModerated by Robyn Archer AODr Tim Greacen
made the claim that without health there is no creativity and vice
versa. From his perspective as both psychologist and singer, he has
explored the way health and the arts are intertwined. He has written
extensively on doctor/patient relationships and advocated successful
arts/health programmes such as Video et Sante which offers a pathway to
mental health through new skills and creativity. He has also worked
throughout the world in programmes for people with AIDS.Jo Dorras and Danny Marcel,
members of Wan Smolbag will respond from the perspective of a theatre
company based in Port Vila for more than 20 years. They are not funded
through a culture programme or policy, but largely through foreign aid
which supports their social welfare and health programmes over a wide,
inclusive base throughout Vanuatu and its remote islands. They have a
particular focus on sexually transmitted diseases through the arts of
drama (theatre and TV) and music, and create skills development
opportunities in all branches of these media.PANEL SESSION – OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONEPaul Komesaroff, Lucina Jiménez and Mike van Graan (traducción español)
talked about those places where the arts intersect with real danger. In
many places the arts are still viewed as a luxury and many of us are
proud to describe the arts as a safe place to discuss dangerous issues,
but there are places where just being an artist is dangerous, and others
where art is obliged to intersect with armed conflict, serious unrest,
and their consequences. The session was moderated by Amanda Smith (Presenter, Artworks, ABC Radio National, Australia).ROUNDTABLES10: Across the divide .Martin Drury (Arts Director, the Arts Council Ireland), Bilel Aboudi
(Deputy Director of International Cooperation and External
Relations/Public Services Advisor, Ministry of Culture, Tunisia).
Moderator: Anne Dunn (Consultant, Australia).
What is the nature of the relationship between policy makers and arts
practitioners and how might we bridge that gap? Could there be a new
system of structures that enable holistic intersections with the myriad
sectors that exist in society? As Martin Drury has written ‘The profile
of the decision-makers and the vested interests of the “arts sector ”
are among many barriers to full public participation in the arts. The
creative intersections which were the focus of this Summit are part of a
Cartesian geometry that never quite succeeds in squaring the circle.
What might the alternative geometry look like?!’11: Getting traction with arts and education policiesMichael Wimmer (Founder and General Manager, Educult, Austria), Linda Lorenza (Senior Project Officer, Arts, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority). Moderator: Lucina Jiménez (Anthropologist, Mexico)
The field of arts education and arts in education is awash with
enthusiasm, passion, good thinking, even better intentions and new
policy initiatives. But how much actually changes? Why have some
countries succeeded in establishing well funded and effective arts
education programmes, while others are losing ground due to changing
political situations, and still others have yet to win the case for arts
in the curriculum? How can arts education policies be more robust and
what are the connections, actual and potential, between arts, artists
and policymaking? Learn more about what the tensions are and help tease
out the one big thing that might actually work for everyone.12: Sante! Arts and wellbeingDr Tim Greacen (Director, Maison Blanche Research Laboratory, France), Pamela Udoka (President/Artistic Director, Children’s Arts Development Initiative, Nigeria), Raelene Baker (Principal Indigenous Advisor, Arts Queensland, Australia). Moderator: Professor Ruth Rentschler (Board member, VicHealth, Australia).
Research increasingly yields more evidence about the positive effects
of the arts on human health. And it is coming at us from all angles and
in all media: from ambient colour, design and music to skills
development and practice by patients themselves - the arts work at many
levels. The field in focus here is mental health, but the session will
also consider the physical health perspective and all speakers have an
intimate association with the arts in this context. From a dense field
we need one beautiful flower to rise up as the most effective new policy
initiative.13: Who put the ‘dis’ in disability?Gaelle Mellis (Resident Designer, Restless Dance Theatre, Australia), Emma Bennison (Executive Officer, Arts Access Australia). Moderator: Becky Llewellyn (Director, Disability Consultancy Services, Australia).
The world abounds with goodwill towards the inclusion of everyone
into the arts, whether as artist, arts-worker or audience. But there is
often a cost associated with accessibility and inclusion, and when
funding feels the squeeze, the temptation is to cut back on practical
applications. The wellmade plans are dis-continued, dis-missed and the
extent of the problem sometimes dis-guised. So what’s possible? And
what’s most needed at this time? The answer to those questions is what
this session should take to the final plenary.14: The art of misdemeanourAndrew Dixon (Chief Executive, Creative Scotland), PANG Khee Teik (Arts Programme Director, Annexe Gallery, Malaysia) and Scott Rankin (Big hART, Australia) Moderator: Lydia Miller (Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Arts, Australia Council).
The intersection of arts with what Scott Rankin has called ‘outsider
culture’ has produced surprising results, as has the work of artists in
prisons and in other contexts outside the law. While rehabilitation may
be the key concern on the inside, and political action on the outside,
the fact is that art often reaches beyond the immediate objectives. Good
writing, good music, good visual art and video, theatre and
screen-based work can emerge from the ‘inside’ and at the outermost
edge. Where and how could policy have an effect on the potential of
these transactions?15: Interculturality: Creating dynamic intersectionsProfessor Michael Mel (Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Goroka, Papua New Guinea), Paula Abood (Arab Australian writer), Nike Jonah (Project Manager, decibel Performing Arts Showcase, Arts Council England), Dr Tim Curtis Programme Specialist for Culture, UNESCO office Bangkok, Thailand). Moderator: Magdalena Moreno (CEO, Kultour, Australia).
When people of diverse cultures meet and engage, a dynamic space is
created. This session explores the creative environment that emerges
when cultural diversity is at the heart of the artistic synapse. The
2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity
of Cultural Expressions states that cultural diversity is a driving
force of development, not only in respect of economic growth, but also
as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral
and spiritual life. What role can cultural policy play in stimulating
the potential for living encounters where the unscripted more often than
not has the most significant and systemic impact?16: It’s not just a case of ‘show me the money’Anmol Vellani (Executive Director, India Foundation for the Arts), Rupert Myer (Philanthropist and Chair, National Gallery of Australia), Ariunaa Tserenpil (Director, Arts Council of Mongolia). Moderator: Louise Walsh (Director, Artsupport Australia, Australia Council).
The place of philanthropy in the arts differs spectacularly from
country to country, even city to city. Where governments do support the
arts, from time to time they are inspired by the level of philanthropy
in the USA and crave that situation for their own countries. Yet the
global financial crisis has proven how fragile such a system is. What is
the relationship between the philanthropic spirit and public policy in
the arts? Should it be more than just a matter of input credits? What is
at the heart of the creative intersection of artists and private
generosity? Is something else needed in policy terms?17: Not such strange bedfellowsEdna dos Santos-Duisenberg (Chief, Creative Economy Programme, UNCTAD, Switzerland), Farai Mpfunya
(Executive Director, Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust), Elizabeth Ann
Macgregor (Director, Museum of Contemporary Art,
Australia). Moderator: Professor Justin O’Connor (Professor, Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Australia).
There was a time when some artists scorned corporate investment in
the arts and commercialisation of culture was seen as cynical and
shallow; but now it is understood that on the one hand artists can work
in genuine collaboration with corporate partners, and on the other hand
they can become businesses in their own right. The worldwide interest in
public policy that supports ‘creative industries’ is partly a response
to a new breed of artist that sees no conflict between art and business.
Is there however a conflict between support for those arts which have
commercial potential with those that will always need subsidy? How does
policy deal with it?18: Finally – the numbersProfessor David Throsby (Professor of Economics, Macquarie University, Australia), Dr Audrey Yue (Lecturer, University of Melbourne, Australia). Moderator: Annamari Laaksonen (Research Manager, IFACCA Australia).
Statistics on the arts, how they are collected and how the arts are
evaluated in formal ways may seem dry stuff to artists, but they are
invaluable when it comes to mounting arguments for policy which drives
support for the arts, arts education, regional priorities etc. How can
the numbers be most effectively gathered and applied, and how do we
ensure that the arts retain their freedom of expression and operation
aside from the need for formal evaluation?OPEN SESSIONS – CREATING CONNECTIONSAfter the
hard work in the roundtables, and as the rapporteurs work to present in
the final plenary on Thursday, this was the delegates' chance to pursue
their own interests and pick two sessions from an eclectic array of
options that, in one way or another, relate to the idea of creative
intersections. Presentations ranged from projects to publications,
case-studies to artworks.
FIRST SESSIONPresentations by delegates, including the performance below by Jacques Martial.Mauricio Delfin, Culturaperu.orgMaryam Rasihidi, PhD Candidate, Research School of Humanities & the Arts, Australian National University, Australia
SECOND SESSIONFurther presentations by delegates.Hossam Nassar, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture, Egypt Hilary Ogbechie, Acting Director - Extension Services, National Council for Arts & Culture, NigeriaMahiriki Tangaroa and Michael Gunn, National Museum of the Cook Islands and National Gallery of Australia
In the first session, in Plenary 1, Jacques Martial gave a special
delegates-only performance (in English) of L’echange, Notebook of a
Return to My Native Land, Aimé Césaire’s seminal prose/poem which coined
the word ‘negritude’ and was ubsequently taken up by America’s Black
Rights movement. This work was co-commissioned by 10 Days on the Island
(Tasmania) and has been performed all over the world including before
the French President on the occasion of the anniversary of the Abolition
of Slavery in France.THURSDAY 6 October 2011POLICIESHaving
explored Place and People, we concluded the Summit by considering the
policies and programmes that might help underpin resilient partnerships
between artists and other areas of society.WRAP UPModerated by Robyn ArcherProfessor Brad Haseman
(Queensland University of Technology, Australia) summarised the
discussion from the first two days and in particular the roundtables on
PLACE and PEOPLE. He outlined some of the key ideas for arts policy
initiatives (POLICIES) to support artists to intersect with broad social
issues while maintaining the integrity of their development and
practice.FINAL KEYNOTE SESSIONA session to promote some food for thought and action.Alison Tickell
(Julie’s Bicycle, UK). For many global citizens environmental
sustainability is the most important issue of our time. While many in
the arts express their concern, just as many still struggle with how
they can affect the kinds of changes which will make a difference.
Julie’s Bicycle is a shining example of achievement in this area and
should inspire us to move towards equivalent goals in our own spheres.
The session was moderated by Robyn Archer AO.

Project Overview

“Our food reserves are at a 50-year low, but by 2030 we need to be producing 50% more food. At the same time, we will need 50% more energy, and 30% more fresh water… You can't think about dealing with one without considering the others. We must deal with all of these together."
- John Beddington, UK Government’s Chief Scientist

There is growing recognition that our global economy is unsustainable. John Beddington talks of a ‘perfect storm’ of food, energy and water shortages converging in 2030. Underlying this are deep long-term trends such as population growth, climate change, persistent poverty and poor health. Governments and business are beginning to take action. Yet we struggle to understand what is meant by sustainable economy. And how do you turn sustainability risks into opportunities? Both the Technology Strategy Board and Aviva Investors have been engaging with these issues proactively. We’ve been working with these two organisations to develop a Sustainable Economy Framework (SEF) that defines what we mean by environmental limits and social value.

What is the ‘Sustainable Economy Framework’ (SEF)?

The SEF sets out the parameters for a sustainable future economy that can help today’s investments and business decisions deliver sustainable value over the long term. The SEF defines the characteristics of a sustainable economy: one that operates within safe environmental limits and enriches people’s lives. It has been developed by Forum for the Future in partnership with Aviva Investors and the Technology Strategy Board and is based on analysis of over 40 sources and frameworks examining the topic of sustainable economy, as well as extensive stakeholder consultation.

The outermost ring of the SEF describes the key environmental boundaries that any successful economy must respect. The second ring describes the social and political conditions which we believe are necessary to support a complex, flourishing global civilization. These all work towards delivering the desired outcomes (the ‘bullseye’ of the SEF) – universal and continuous access for current and future generation to the resources and opportunities necessary to live well.

We have developed similar but different versions of the SEF to align to the strategic priorities of Aviva Investors and Technology Strategy Board.

Read more on how Aviva Investors and Forum for the Future see the role of capital markets in facilitating a sustainable economy and more on howTechnology Strategy Board are integrating the SEF into their investments.

Contact us with comments on the framework or to discuss how you can use within your own organisation by emailing SEF@forumforthefuture.org.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Sustainable Lifestyles 2050

For decades there was a dramatically increasing upward trend in consumption levels, first in what was then called the ‘developed’ world, and then in the ‘emerging’ markets. For a time it appeared that there was no stopping it, but we finally managed to find ways to create sustainable alternatives that didn’t feel like lesser options; to find early signs of a real shift in values; and to find the right ways of communicating both of these trends to build civic will. Our organization was active in each of these areas, through our aligned work with partners, and our understanding of consumers. It all began when we partnered with Collective Invention to create a deeply immersive futures experience called Sustainable Lifestyles 2050.

Our current way of providing food and other basic needs involves industrialised systems that are linear, centralised and globalised. In the linear approach, it is assumed that at one end of a system there is an unlimited supply of energy and raw materials (which there isn’t), while at the other the environment has an infinite capacity to absorb pollution and waste (which it hasn’t). The inevitable result is resource shortages on the one hand and solid waste, climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution problems on the other.

An alternative to the current linear paradigm is to develop productive systems that minimise external inputs, pollution and waste (as well as risk, dependency and costs) by adopting a circular metabolism. There are two principles here, both reflecting the natural world. The first is that natural systems are based on cycles, for example water, nitrogen and carbon. Secondly, there is very little waste in natural systems. The ‘waste’ from one species is food for another, or is converted into a useful form by natural processes and cycles.

This book shows how these principles can be used to create systems and settlements that provide food, energy and water without consuming large quantities of fossil fuels and other finite resources. In the process, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution are minimised whilst human well being, food and livelihood security, and democratic control are enhanced.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How did the Dutch get their cycling infrastructure? This question keeps coming back because it is of course relevant to people who want what the Dutch have.

Road building traditions go back a long way and they are influenced by many factors. But the way Dutch streets and roads are built today is largely the result of deliberate political decisions in the 1970s to turn away from the car centric policies of the prosperous post war era. Changed ideas about mobility, safer and more livable cities and about the environment led to a new type of streets in the Netherlands.

The recent video to introduce the Dutch Cycling Embassy explains this very briefly, but there is a lot more that can be said about it.Please watch this video before you read on.

“The Netherlands’ problems were and are not unique, their solutions shouldn’t be that either.”

Thus ends the video, but what do I mean by that? I think the Dutch could and should be copied. If you look at the key factors for the change in Dutch thinking, you see these are just as valid today. The world is still too dependent on fossil fuels and many cities in the world have congested streets. Streets and roads which are also very dangerous, especially for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. And that is even more so when these road users are elderly or children.

Other elements leading to the change are also not unique. That is not only so for the protest posters.

Cycle protest posters Amsterdam 1980

Critical Mass posters 2007-2011 various places

The mass cycling protests in the 1970s look very similar as well, compared to protests in other countries today. Like the massive number of people protesting by bike on London's Blackfriars bridge just a couple of days ago.

Cycling protest tour 1979, Amsterdam.

Blackfriars protest tour 2011, London.(Picture by Joe Dunckley)

Even the rogue painting of cycling infrastructure on roads is something that could be witnessed just a few weeks ago in Moscow.

Painting cycle lanes, Amsterdam 1980

Painting cycle lanes, Moscow 2011

So where then is the difference? The below picture from 1974 says a lot. It shows the then prime minister of the Netherlands Joop den Uyl and his wife, accepting a record from the foundation ‘Stop de kindermoord’ (stop the child murder) with a protest song.

Prime Minister Joop den Uyl and his wife accepting a record with a protest song by 'Stop de Kindermoord' with the radical title:"playing on the streets: death penalty"

This was at their home where they were adressed as parents. It gives a clear picture of how the pressure groups of the 1970s managed to get the political powers to listen to them and take action. It took them a decade, before not only decision makers, but also the planners finally listened to the protests. Getting the people who take decisions and those who have to draw plans for the streets to adopt the new ideas: that is where the real change started.